We can make it together
by Errol's Feather
Summary: When Natalia finds Calleigh grieving at Horatio's grave she invites her and the children over for dinner. While they are there it turns out that Natalia has more than friendly feelings for her friend. Having Calleigh not telling her the same she fears that she has ruined their friendship. DuVista.


**_We can make it together _**

"Calleigh, you can't keep on doing this," Calleigh heard Natalia's voice behind her. She had again found her sitting by Horatio's grave. She was crying, sobbing hard, she just wanted him to come back.

"I…never got a chance to tell him that I loved him," it came as a whisper; she did not turn to look at her friend.

"I am sure he already knew," said Natalia, coming close, putting a hand on her shoulder. The blonde grabbed it and held on tight.

"I have to let him go, don't I?" she turned her head and looked right up into Natalia's hazel eyes.

"You know you do," was the answer, she was calm and steady.

"You miss him as well?" she needed to know she was not alone.

"I do, every once in a while, when I am in his…your office, it's like I sense his presence," said the older woman.

"I know what you mean, it seems like just yesterday…" she stopped, she couldn't believe it had been over a year since he passed.

Natalia nodded, she didn't know what to say really, what was there to say. She sighed heavily saying, "You…we shouldn't be here."

"You are right," said Calleigh with a heavy sigh, slowly rising from the grave-site, tears still running down her face. She felt her heart breaking all over again. Natalia held her shivering friend, as she had done many times over the last year. She leaned her head on the top blonde's head. She rested her head upon the brunette's shoulder. Calleigh's soft sobs would soon die off and she stood there, looking at Natalia asking, "Why did you come here?"

"Because I am worried, but mostly because Austin's teacher called, he is in trouble and you have to go to the school," said Natalia. It was true, when they couldn't reach her cell they had called her office phone, and as Calleigh was out Natalia had picked up.

"Again, it is the fifth time in less than a month. I don't know what I am going to do with him," said the blonde with a heavy sigh. It was in times like these she missed her relationship with Eric. They had broken it off a couple of years prior; they had found themselves slipping out of love with each other. She had been in love with Horatio she claimed...

"He's just testing you, you need to put up more boundaries and stick to them," said Natalia in a sympathetic tone.

"I am trying, but it is two against one, and he is acting out, I feel so alone," said the blonde slowly starting to walk towards her car. The brunette right beside her nodded, she didn't know what to say, other than. "You are not alone, I'm here and so is Ryan and Eric if there is anything."

The blonde nodded quietly nodded, figuring it was true, although not what she meant. Not knowing what to say she didn't, she couldn't quite put her mind into saying anything at all. Natalia didn't seem to do the effort to do so either, at least not until the blonde had managed to open the door to her car.

"Listen, Calleigh, I was thinking, maybe you could take the children over to my place for dinner tonight, maybe give you a chance to relax," the blonde couldn't rightly read the look in her friend's eyes.

"I do suppose I could, I could need a distraction, when do you want us there?" she asked polite.

"Around six, is that good for you?" Natalia asked her. She nodded and got into the car, as she started it she knew she needed to go back to the lab after picking up her son.

* * *

"Just remember when we are there, please try to behave," Calleigh said to the two children as she parked the car outside Natalia's house.

"Do we have to?" Austin asked, his adoptive mother nodded. He sighed as he got out of the car, slamming the door shut hard. Calleigh sighed also. Both seemed equally frustrated with each other as they rang the door bell. Natalia were soon to open, noticing the tension she said, "Why don't you two go and play in the garden as I talk to your mother."

They ran off and Natalia looked at Calleigh asking, "So?"

"He won't tell me why, I'll never figure it out I fear," said she, sensing defeat.

"I may have a way to get him to talk, mind if I try something?" Natalia asked the blonde.

"No, not at all," said the petite blonde as she followed her further into her apartment.

Natalia walked into one of the rooms close to the hallway and came into a ball. She smiled and motioned to Calleigh to follow her outside as she walked out in the garden to the children.

"Austin, Patty would you come here for a second?" she called as they were some steps away, seemingly looking at something the grass. They came up and he said, "What's up, auntie Nat?"

"I would like to play a game with you guys?" said Natalia, making Calleigh frown.

"What kind of game?" asked Patty, looking at her with questioning eyes.

"The information game, I toss the ball to any of you and you have to answer whatever I ask, and the one that gets it does the same, how does that sound?" asked she.

"I'm in," he said, his eyes shining, his sister nodded and Calleigh mumbled something like, "Sure why not."

"Alright, my game I go first," she said and tossed it to Patty, asking, "What is your favorite animal?"

"Cats, I really want one," she said and threw it back to Natalia asking, "Why don't you have children?"

Calleigh gasped to this, but Natalia calmly said, "The last guy I was with wasn't very nice to me and so we didn't have any. The ones after that didn't last, so there never was a good time." She tossed to Calleigh asking, "Why did you break it off with Eric, were you in love with Horatio?"

"I was not, we were close friends, and I loved him a great deal, just not like that. I was however in love with someone else," she answered, tossing it to Austin and asked, "Would you like us to get a dog?"

"Yeah that would be great," he said smiling, tossing it to his sister asking the same, she was more pro cat though and this went on for a while until Natalia threw the ball to Austin asking, "Why were you in trouble today?"

"Someone said something bad about mom and I didn't agree, I don't want to play," he said and ran inside leaving the ball. Calleigh was about to go after when Natalia did make a sign for her to wait. She however went after him. She found him in the living room sitting on the couch looking into the ground. She sat down next to him, asking, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I wanted to talk to her about it, but she would only get hurt," he said with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sure that isn't so," said Natalia calmly. She of course knew children could be rather cruel.

"They said she only cares about her job and she's a power dike, not sure what that means but it didn't sound nice," he said.

"It means a lesbian who is often very "mannish" in appearance, although I don't think she is all that even if she does wear mostly suits. I don't even know where they got that phrase. You know she does care about you two more than her job right," Natalia said in a soft tone.

"I know or she wouldn't come and get us when something happened at school and work only after we do go to bed," he said, adding, "I've seen it after I do go to bed and heard her argue on the phone when she thinks we are not listening."

"Oh sweetie, next time they say that you know what you are going to say?" said Natalia hugging him close.

"No, what?" he asked.

"That even if she is a power dike and she earns ten times of your parents, she loves you more than anything and she would give up her work for you any time," said Natalia and added, "And if they continue she or her girlfriend which is me will come and throw them in jail."

"You would do that," said he, lightning up.

"No, but they don't know that, I need to check on the food, so are you okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah, you're cool you know, not as cool as mom, but still," he said with a laugh.

"Thanks, so will you tell your sister to wash her hands dinner is ready in a sec," said Natalia and got up.

"Cool," he said and ran out to get his sister. They already knew where the bathroom was having been there a couple of times before. As Natalia got into the kitchen the bell on the oven went off and she bent to take out the lasagna.

"So I'm your girlfriend?" she heard Calleigh's voice from behind, and her adding, "I don't believe I got the memo on that."

"It's right after the one about getting a new coffee machine in the break room and me wanting next Friday off, family obligations," Natalia answered, feeling her cheeks turn red.

"Curious as I do remember that between the coffee machine and the Friday off was a lot of mails regarding the finances of the lab and a PTA meeting," said the blonde in a matter of fact way.

"I'm sorry, Call, I shouldn't have said anything to Austin or implied that…" she trailed off feeling like a fool.

"Don't worry, Natalia, it is completely fine, you managed to fix that quite well. At least now I know what is wrong and I can deal with it," said the petite blonde, smiling at her fried.

Natalia nodded, not knowing what to say she put the food on the table, while Calleigh called for her children. All three seemed to dig in while Natalia on the other hand was eating very slowly. She startled when one of Calleigh's hands went under the table one short second to rest on top of that of the older woman. Natalia looked at her with questioning eyes, but Calleigh's eyes were at her children as they were having a discussion going on. She removed the hand needing it to use both knife and fork.

The brunette was feeling confused, was she giving after for her wish to become something more than friends. Was she okay with that, did she feel the same? Should she have kept quiet about it all or should she… She sighed as she slowly got up, mainly to clear off the table. A million thoughts running though her mind, she couldn't make sense of them, hearing Calleigh telling the children they should be on their way soon, homework. Only she wanted them to stay, for her to stay, for her to…She groaned as they helped her clear the table and thanked her for dinner, and with that they were gone. She had given her a polite hug and thanked her.

Should she call or wait until the next morning and see her at work, would that be awkward now that Calleigh knew how she felt. She should have kept quiet she knew. Leaning on the kitchen counter, before she made a decision and texted her , "I didn't mean it to come out that way or earlier, I just wanted you to know you are not alone, I am here for you and the children when you need me. I'm sorry if I made it uncomfortable for you. Natalia."

Nothing, nothing at all. Tears starting to fall, she felt so very lost on what to do. A sob escaped her red lips as her phone rang. She picked up saying, "Natalia."

"Hey it's me, can we talk?" Calleigh's southern drawl in the other end.

"Of course," said she, gathering herself somewhat.

"I can't say I am surprised, I've suspected this for some time," said the other woman. It was true; she had suspected Natalia to have more than friendly feelings for her for at least a couple of months.

"I'm sorry, I should have kept quiet," she wanted to sink to the ground now.

"I'm glad you didn't, and you were right, I need to move on. Earlier I said I was not in love with Horatio. I loved him deeply as a friend and as my guidance and my boss. I may have hoped for us to become ages ago and I did want him to know how I felt. However as I said I was in love with someone else and that is you," a heavy sigh was heard.

"You love me?" a smile through her tears.

"Yes, and I am glad I am not alone, as I couldn't have done it alone for much longer. I just hope you know you can lean on me as well and that this won't be easy," said Calleigh honestly.

"I am so glad to hear that and I know we're in for a rough ride, but we can make it together, I just know," said Natalia confident.

"Good, I need to check on the children, I will see you at work tomorrow," said the blonde and hung up.

That night Natalia's heart was beating hard and fast of happiness alone, and early the next morning she would receive a proper kiss in Calleigh's office. She would stay there for some time helping her out with some papers, and Calleigh later on told her that a new coffee machine was ordered and that she did have time off the following Friday. The brunette said she would come to her house as soon as she came back, the blonde just nodded to that. Glad she was no longer alone.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading, I would love to hear your thoughts :o)


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